The Lakes Bulletin - The Lakes of Atascadero

VOLUME 2
The Lakes Bulletin
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
• Halloween—October 31st
• BOD Nominations: 10/23-11/24
Applications Due—11/24
VOLUNTEER ON A COMMITTEE?
• IMC—Infrastructure and Maintenance Committee
• Architectural review Committee
• Budget Committee
• Nomination Committee
• Social Committee (join me!)
• Welcome Committee (NEW!)
• Legal Committee
• Maybe we can make up one for you?
Your life will never be the same after you
volunteer at The Lakes!
WANT TO RECEIVE
THE NEWSLETTER VIA
EMAIL?
9/27/14
CREATING A GREAT COMMUNITY
The Atascadero Chief of Police, Jerel Haley, joined us
at the last board meeting. He wanted to come out and
discuss how the Atascadero police can and cannot assist our unique private community. There have been a
large number of calls to the department from residents
of the lakes concerned with trespassing mostly related
to fishing at the Lakes. He wanted to clarify what type
of disturbances his department can and cannot help
with. A common call from the Lakes has to do with
Trespassing. He clarified that someone is trespassing
if they do not live in The Lakes or are not an invited
guest of a resident, you ask them to leave and they do
not. If a person does leave, that is NOT trespassing.
He encouraged us as a community to be less confrontational when someone represents themselves as a
fellow resident or invited guest.
Photo by Cindy Porterfield.
I couldn’t agree more with the Chief, we live in this
great community which we want our friends and
family to be able to enjoy.
As part of this process it would be great to have
more community events so we can meet our neighbors. We will do our best to make 2015 a more social year for this community. Please watch Facebook and our communications for events and fundraisers in the near future.
Send me your Email!
Atascadero Chief of Police at
BOD meeting.
suzydaham@gmail.com
HALLOWEEN AT THE LAKES
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK!
Facebook.com/thelakeshoa
Note: This is a new page made for an
organization not person.
CHECK OUT OUR
NEW WEBSITE
Www.TheLakesOfAtascadero.com
If you have not been at the Lakes for Halloween you are missing out. We open the Gates
for the night and what seems like all the kids in Atascadero come here for some trick or
treating. I have lived here two years and we hand out an average of 600 piece of candy. We
see all the kids friends and love the event. I appreciate everyone at The Lakes helping to
make this a fun and safe event that we can continue for years to come. Please be safe, drive
safe and keep your kids well behaved. For those residents who do not want to participate,
please feel free to turn off your lights on Halloween night.
Do you feel your life is not complete? Maybe you need an outlet for your creativity
and endless free time. Well we are looking for a few (ok maybe more!) people to
write articles for our newsletter, volunteer on committee’s and plan fun community
events. If this sounds just like you e-mail me at suzdaham@gmail.com.
THE LAKES BULLETIN
PAGE 2
LETTER(S) TO THE EDITOR OR...
The goal is to have this be a section for you to
voice questions regarding events going on at the
Lakes or even questions for the Board. That said
we have had none, so I am including the Welcome
letter that will be given to new residents when they
move here.
On behalf of your Homeowners’ Association, welcome to THE LAKES! Congratulations on moving into one of the finest communities in Atascadero and the North County. We know you will enjoy the high quality
of life that is unique to THE LAKES.
Around 2000, the owners of land that was to
become THE LAKES housing development
had the vision of creating a private community where quality of life comes first. In this
beautiful valley along the Salinas River bed
they envisioned a safe, pleasant, familyoriented, self-governing community that offers spacious, high quality housing, easy access to recreational opportunities, and employment - all conveniently accessed. Once
the development was completed in 2004,
THE LAKES became one of the most
sought after communities in Atascadero and
the North County. Its tranquil beauty and
relaxed lifestyle enhances family life and
provides a safe environment for its residents.
As a dues-paying private community of
homeowners, THE LAKES is governed by
Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions
(CCRs). These ensure our quality of life.
Mark IV Property Management Systems in
Atascadero manages THE LAKES and is
the main liaison for the Homeowners Association (HOA) and its Board of Directors. Included in our welcome packet are
the CCRs and your residential fishing permit. HOA meetings take place once per
month and you are warmly encouraged to
attend and participate in the good governance that advances the quality of life of our
community.
Please set aside time to review the CCRs,
as they outline your responsibilities and
rights in what you can and cannot do with
and to your property. If you are considering making changes to your property (e.g.
installing solar panels; adding water features or a swimming pool; changing out
your landscaping; altering your hardscape;
re-painting your house; and installing fencing, large playground systems, pergolas,
sheds or playhouses), the CC&R’s require you to submit an application to
Mark IV, using an Architectural Review
Request. This will be passed on to the
Architectural Control Committee
(comprised of three to four homeowners
in THE LAKES) and they will meet
with you to discuss your project. Following the meeting they will submit their
recommendation – yes, no or modify –
to the Board of Directors. The BOD has
final approval, and their decision will
allow you to proceed with your project
within defined terms. Occasionally, a
project will be rejected or require alteration from the original proposal.
Further information on life in THE
LAKES can be found on our website:
www.thelakesofatascadero.com, including downloadable copies of the Architectural Review Request, past newsletters,
and contact information for Mark IV.
We wish you much enjoyment of your
life in THE LAKES community and
personally look forward to meeting you
in the near future.
Yours sincerely,
The Board of Directors
THE LAKES Homeowners Association
MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR— ALISON HERSON
The intention is for this section to focus on a family
in The Lakes with either an interesting business,
charity or story which we can share with the community. Please help us learn more about our
neighbors by sharing stories or nominating your
neighbors to be featured.
sition, Campus Police back up Santa Maria
PD! Alison is often involved as backup on
car chases, burglary and assault calls off
campus. When she arrives to nab the bad
guy they get cuffed with her own pink
handcuffs.
I sat down with Alison Herson recently and
must admit what I thought would be a 15
minute talk lasted almost an hour. What
resulted was an interesting and intellectual
talk on our criminal justice system, police
misconceptions and personal safety.
Alison graduated from Hancock college
Police academy in 2008 and just received
her Masters of Criminology from UC Irvine.
Alison is a police officer who has worked at
ASH and Atascadero PD. Two months ago
she was hired by Allan Hancock College Police Department, and works as the Agency’s
first female police officer (Learn more by
watching the KCOY Video on YouTube).
Her position at the college is one of 5 officers
overseeing the 10,000 students on campus.
Don’t think this is just a campus security po-
She has lived at The Lakes since 2012. She
has three Siberian Huskies Bonnie, Clyde
and her newest addition Lily! When not
working she can be found relaxing in her
backyard. Like most people I meet here at
The Lakes we both agree the best thing
about The Lakes are the neighbors.
Alison just joined the Welcome Committee and
has offered to write a safety column in the next
newsletter—Thank you Alison 805-712-7102
Alison’s Safety Tips:
Be aware of your surroundings at
all times.
Get off the phone! Criminals look
for people not paying attention
Even in The Lakes there is Crime,
lock your doors
VOLUME 2
PAGE 3
MEET YOUR (AVIAN) NEIGHBORS
We are incredibly fortunate to live in
an area that is host to many different species
of birds. According to the Morro Coast
Audubon Society, over 261 species of birds
have been identified in our area this year.
The Lakes provides an amazing place to do
South Lake Feb. 4th 2014
(Tara Dolan)
some bird watching as we have many mature
trees, open spaces and two lakes - all of
which are surrounded by easy walking paths.
The 2011 movie “The Big Year”
highlights the pastime of birding, taken to the
extreme. The movie and my handy Golden
Guide inspired this author to try to have a
‘big year’ (see my list below). One of the
most incredible birds that I spotted hanging
out at the Lakes this year is a pair of Bald
Eagles. Numerous residents have had the
opportunity to see these birds soaring overhead or perched high in the oaks that surround our lakes.
In 1986, Bald Eagle reintroduction
programs began on the central coast in order
to re-establish the population that had
been decimated by the effects of DDT in
the environment. According to the Ventana Wildlife Society, there were 9 known
nesting pairs in San Luis Obispo County
in 2012. Although they are still rare, their
numbers have been steadily increasing.
Getting a sight of this National symbol
soaring overhead with a 7 foot wingspan
is a real treat!
Bald Eagles eat fish, water birds
and carrion, all of which are available here
at the Lakes. Large oak trees provide a
great vantage position for the birds to look
around before they swoop down and grab
their prey in their giant, featherless talons.
Average flight speeds of Bald Eagles are
around 40 miles/hour. Male and female
birds look the same; however the female is
larger than the male. Breeding pairs stay
together, as long as both of them are alive.
The breeding season is from January to
July during which time Eagles construct a
very large nest of sticks and lay 1 to 2
eggs. Eagles will return to the same nest
year after year and add more material
each time. Sometimes nests can become
up to 8 feet across and 13 feet deep! Bald
Eagles are known to nest at Nacimiento
Lake and Santa Margarita Lake.
South Lake Sept 14, 2014
Blue Heron Release:
Article by Tara Dolan
Tara is the head of the Landscape committee. Up until she broke her foot on the
trampoline you could find her riding the
grounds on her bike with husband Dale,
and sons Kieran and Jonathan
Pacific Wildlife Care released this
Blue Heron at the Lakes in MidJuly. There have been many sightings lately. Be sure to post any
photos on Facebook, our neighbors
would love to see it.
This is a list of the birds that I have been able to identify at the Lakes in 2014. Perhaps you can supplement this list
with your own findings! Feel free to mention your sightings and/or photos to the Facebook Page – The Lakes of Atascadero. Happy birding!
Bird Sighting Report:
Mallard Duck
Northern Shoveler
Lesser Scaup
Great Blue Heron
Redhead
Bufflehead
Ruddy Duck
Common Merganser
Hooded Merganser
Bullock’s Oriole
Western Bluebird
California Thrasher
Snowy Egret
Phainopepla
Cedar Waxwing
Turkey Vulture
Red-Shouldered Hawk
California Quail
Pied-Billed Grebe
American Coot
Double Crested Cormorant
Great/Common Egret
Black-Crowned Night Heron
Belted Kingfischer
Killdeer
Bald Eagle
Gold Finch
California Quail
Rufous-Sided Towhee
Red-Breasted Sapsucker
Black Phoebe
American Robin
Black-Billed Magpie
Tufted Titmouse
Oak Titmouse
House Finch
The Lakes Bulletin
CLEANING UP THE FALLEN OAK
We had a great turn out for our wood cutting
party. Families interested in bringing out their
chainsaws could take wood from the fallen
oak. Donations are being accepted for those
who benefited from the wood at Mark IV.
Just write a check to The Lakes HOA with a
memo of the Oak Tree.
We will use the donations to get a picnic table
for the lake area.
PREHISTORY AND HISTORY BEFORE LAKES DEVELOPMENT
As many of you know The Lakes
has a very interesting History when
it comes to archeology and Native
American History. Prehistoric artifacts and human burials were discovered throughout the 80 acre
Lakes Project. Over the course of the
next few newsletters I will share
some of the information we have the
Indians who lived in this area and
what was found specifically at the
Lakes. Admittedly this is not my
specialty, I would love someone to
dive in deeper take this over and
provide more information to the
community.
In August of 2002 C.A. Singer
& Associates (Archaeology,
Cultural Resources & Lithic
Studies) provide us with a letter in regard to a request from
the board for more information. The board had asked
them to provide information on
the following:
1. A map of the locations of the sites/burial
grounds:
The response to that one request:
At this time we do not have a basemap
of the project area and cannot plot the
distribution of archaeological deposits
or mortuary areas. And, even if we
had a map we couldn’t do it because
California Law prohibits us from releasing these locations to any segment
of the public. That’s because of our
long standing local tradition of looting
both prehistoric and historic sites for
relics, particularly cemeteries, including
the
one
located
at
Se’e’le’ [pronounced Say LA], the
place we now call The Lakes. However, our plan has always been to show
all the residents exactly where the sites
are because, now that you own the
land, you are responsible for the
maintenance and conservation of the
historical resources located underneath your homes.— To be continued
New Board of Directors:
It is getting that time of year again
where the nomination committee will
be sending out request for residents to
nominate themselves for a position on
The Lakes HOA Board of Directors.
We are suppose to have at least 5 people on the board (We have 4 now). If
we get more than 5 nominations ballots
will go out to the community to vote
for the board.
The Board of Directors are volunteers
who represent The Lakes Community
in terms of upkeep of the common areas, budget, etc.
If you feel strongly about how the community should be run, I suggest you
put your name on a nomination form.